


A Grocery Store Trip And A Late Night Secret

by SailorWednesdayMercury



Series: Chan Clan Charlie During Dating [1]
Category: The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
Genre: Mystery, Secretive Alan, Worried siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 23:18:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 4,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3506441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorWednesdayMercury/pseuds/SailorWednesdayMercury
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Chan family runs out of food, they embark on a grocery store trip, though, what has Alan really been doing late at night? Read to find out more! Please read & review!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Empty Kitchen Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Amazing Chan And The Chan Clan, Amazing Chan And The Chan Clan is a copyright of Hanna Barbera.**

**Author's note: This story was partially inspired by Sara Jaye's Adventures In The Supermarket.**

**One Saturday morning in the month of May, Tom Chan climbed down from the top bunk where he had slept the previous night.**

**Tom was super careful to not arouse his five brothers, Henry, Stanley, Alan, Flip, and Scooter who all shared a bedroom with him.**

**Alan just yawned, "It's you & me all the way, Cheetah, it's you & me all the way." he said to Anne in his sleep. **

**"Rest easy now, Alan." he said in a gentle whisper.**

**Tom then got dressed and quietly slipped downstairs to the kitchen to find his sister, Suzie, and his father, Charlie searching through the kitchen for food fixings.**

**"Well, Pop," Suzie said. "it looks to me like we're out of food."**

**"We will need to go straight to the grocery store." Charlie said to Suzie.**


	2. An Empty Kitchen Part 2

**"Agreed, Pop." Suzie said.**

**Tom's stomach started grumbling like crazy.**

**"That's good because I am starving!" Tom said.**

**"I'll go wake your brothers & sisters up." Charlie said to Tom & Suzie. **

**"Okay, Pop." Tom said.**

**"Wait, Pop!" Suzie called out.**

**Charlie turned around.**

**"What is it, Suzie?" Charlie asked his oldest daughter.**

**"Don't wake up Alan & Anne," Suzie warned. "Alan stayed up half the night tinkering with the Chan van, and Anne stayed up half the night working on her book report on Lorna Doone which is due on Monday." **

**"That's right," Tom said to Charlie. "when they don't get enough sack time, _especially_ Alan, they don't want to get _anything_ done!" **

**"Now I see." Charlie said.**

**Charlie went straight upstairs to wake the rest of his children for their trip to the grocery store.**


	3. An Empty Kitchen Part 3

**First, Charlie went into his sons' bedroom to wake his other sons.**

**"Henry, Stanley, Flip, Scooter," Charlie whispered to four out of his five sleeping boys. "it is time to wake up and get dressed."**

**Henry, Stanley, Flip, and Scooter all got out of their beds and Scooter noticed that Alan was still fast asleep.**

**"Alan, Alan," Scooter whispered shaking his older brother awake. "it is time to wake up."**

**Alan just shifted onto his right hand side, " _Wǒ háishì hěn kùn_." he answered Scooter in Chinese with a yawn. **

**"Just let Alan sleep, Scooter," Henry advised. "the rest of us must get dressed."**

**"Okay, Henry." Scooter sighed.**

**"Good, and while the five of you are dressing," Charlie whispered to his sons.** **"I am going to wake Nancy & Mimi." **

**"Okay, Pop." Flip said.**

**Alan yawned as his four brothers dressed and his father went into his sisters' bedroom.**

**Charlie then went into his daughters' bedroom to wake his other daughters.**

**"Nancy, Mimi," Charlie whispered to two out of his three sleeping girls. "it is time to wake up and get dressed."**

**Nancy and Mimi both got out of their beds and Mimi noticed that Anne was still fast asleep.**

**"Anne, Anne," Mimi whispered shaking her older sister awake. "it is time to wake up."**

**Anne just shifted onto her left hand side, " _Wǒ háishì hěn kùn_." she answered Mimi in Chinese with a yawn. **

**"Just let Anne sleep, Mimi," Charlie advised. "both of you must get dressed."**

**"Okay, Pop." Mimi sighed.**

**Nancy & Mimi quickly got dressed and raced down the stairs to meet up with their father, brothers, and older sister. **

**"Anne still in dreamland?" Suzie asked Nancy & Mimi. **

**"Don't worry, Suzie," Mimi answered. "she is."**


	4. Off To The Grocery Store

**"What about Alan," Charlie asked Scooter. "is _he_ still in dreamland?" **

**"Don't worry, Pop," Scooter answered. "he is."**

**"Good," Charlie said. "now we can go to the grocery store."**

**"Um... Pop?" Suzie asked.**

**"Yes, Suzie," Charlie asked. "what is it?"**

**"You _nearly_ forgot to write a note telling Anne  & Alan that we are going grocery shopping." Suzie reminded her father.**

**"You're right," Charlie said to Suzie. "I did nearly forget to write a note telling Anne & Alan that we are going grocery shopping." **

**Charlie got a pen & paper and jotted a note for Alan & Anne. **

**A little while later, the rest of the Chan clan was at the grocery store.**

**"Okay, now since we're down two members of our family," Stanley asked. "how would you like us to go about this, Pop?"**

**"Stanley, you & Henry are with me," Charlie answered. "Flip will go with Tom & Suzie, and Scooter & Mimi will go with Nancy." **

**"Groovy!" Henry shouted.**

**"Well then," Tom asked. "shall we be off?"**

**Charlie handed the other two groups each a shopping list so they would know what to get at each given section of the grocery store.**

**Back at the Chan residence, Alan heard some scratching coming from outside his bedroom door.**

**Alan immediately awoke to the noise, "Okay, Chu Chu, okay." he said groggily.**

**Alan opened the door to the bedroom that he shared with his brothers.**

**Chu Chu entered the bedroom the Chan boys shared and began puppy kissing Alan all over his face.**

**Anne came out of the bedroom she shared with their sisters in her sporty pajamas.**

**"Morning, Chu Chu," Anne said groggily rubbing her eyes. "morning, Alan."**


	5. Run In With Mrs. Van Inkley

**Chu Chu was about to puppy kiss Anne all over her face but Anne was on her way to the bathroom so she could wash her hands & face at the sink. **

**After Anne had finished in the bathroom, it was Alan's turn to go in.**

**Back at the grocery store, Charlie, Henry, and Stanley were in the produce section when Stanley _accidentally_ crashed into another shopping cart that was neither Suzie's nor was it Nancy's. **

**"HEY," Stanley asked furiously. "WHY DON'T YOU WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING?"**

**"Stanley!" Charlie scolded.**

**"Oh, oops," Stanley said. "I'm _super sorry_ , Mrs. Van Inkley." **

**"It is quite all right, Stanley," Mrs. Van Inkley said gently. "hello, Mr. Chan."**

**"Greetings, Mrs. Van Inkley." Charlie said.**

**"Please," Mrs. Van Inkley said to Charlie. "call me Rosa."**

**"And you, my dear Rosa, may," Charlie said to Mrs. Van Inkley. "call me Charlie."**

**After the Chan family regrouped, they paid for their groceries, and went straight home.**

**Once the rest of the Chan clan members returned home with the groceries, Anne & Alan were in the living room. **

**"Hi, Pop, Alan & I got your note from this morning," Anne said. "but boy oh boy are we glad that you are home!" **

**Alan lifted his brown eyes from the book he was reading. "Pop," Alan asked. "would you like some help with the groceries?"**

**"No, Alan, thanks anyway," Charlie said. "just go back to your reading."**

**"Okay, Pop." Alan sighed. Alan then went back to the book he was reading.**

**"So, Pop," Anne asked. "when should I begin making breakfast?"**

**"Actually, Anne, I won't be eating with you children this morning, I will be going on my _very first_ date with Rosa!" ** **Charlie answered.**


	6. Charlie Chan's Date Part 1

**"Your very first date, Pop? Groovy!" Suzie exclaimed.**

**"It _would_ be nice to have a mother's touch around here." Tom said. **

**" _Especially_ since Mom's death." Stanley said. **

**Anne dropped the whisk she was using to scramble eggs, ran over to Suzie, and began to sob uncontrollably.**

**"Stanley!" Suzie scolded irritably.**

**Anne was _still_ sobbed uncontrollably in Suzie's arms. **

**Charlie put his coat & hat on, "Well, I'm off, have a nice breakfast." **

**"Okay, Pop." Suzie said.**

**Alan entered the dining room ready to eat breakfast as the doorbell rang.**

**At that moment, Alan fell to the dining room floor.**

**"That'll be Rosa." Charlie said. Charlie just then walked out of the front door.**

**After Charlie left, Henry noticed Alan face down on the dining room floor.**

**"Oh my gosh," Henry shouted out in terror. "Alan!"**


	7. Charlie Chan's Date Part 2

**Anne stopped sobbing, "Alan!" she screamed out in horror. "Alan!" Suzie exclaimed.**

**"Big brother!" Tom & Flip called out in unison. **

**Henry picked Alan up and set him in a sitting position in his usual seat at the table.**

**Henry could see that Alan's eyes were forced open, Alan's eyes looked steely gray _instead_ of their usual milk chocolate brown. **

**Over in the city of Sacramento, Rosa had taken Charlie to the _finest_ restaurant in the state of California. **

**"Are you all right, Charlie?" Rosa asked.**

**"Something is wrong, Rosa, I must go home _right away_!" Charlie said frantically. **

**"Are you sure?" Rosa asked Charlie.**

**"Quite sure." Charlie answered Rosa seriously.**

**"I'll come with you." Rosa offered to Charlie.**

**"Alright, let's go!" Charlie said to Rosa.**

**Back at the Chan clan residence, Alan continued sighing as if he was sound asleep.**

**"What is wrong with Alan, Henry?" Mimi asked worriedly.**

**"Alan appears to be in a trance, Mimi." Henry answered.**

**"What must be done?" Nancy asked Henry.**

**Henry simply just snapped his fingers.**

**Alan's eyes changed back to their normal milk chocolate brown from their former steely gray.**

**"Huh? What happened?" Alan asked Henry groggily.**


	8. Charlie Chan's Date Part 3

**"You were in a hypnotic state, Alan." Tom said.**

**"Like I _keep saying_ ," Anne said. "I wonder what it would be like if we had a brother who spoke English." **

**"Tom just said that I was in a trance," Alan answered his twin sister. "though, _how_ did I end up in the trance?" **

**Suzie & Anne just wrapped their arms around their kindhearted brother, "We don't know exactly." she told Alan. **

**"But we will figure it out." Henry said.**

**"Are you sure we'll be able to solve this case?" Alan asked Henry.**

**The ten Chan children's stomachs started growling.**

**"Of course we will," Henry laughed. "right after breakfast!"**

**Nine out of the ten Chan children sat down at the dining room table as Anne went into the kitchen with the ten plates & glasses on a wheely cart. **

**Anne then came back with the plates full of pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, three different kinds of jelly, sausage, biscuits & gravy, hashbrowns, and butter as well as ten glasses full of milk. **

**Anne then placed a plate of food and a glass of milk at each spot at the dining room table. "Let's eat." Anne said.**

**After breakfast, the doorbell rang _again_ and Alan _immediately_ fell back against the back of his chair.**


	9. A Huge Shock For Charlie Chan

**"Again, Alan," Henry groaned irritably. "Stanley, go answer the door!"**

**"But, Henry," Stanley protested. "you know the rule as well as I do, we are _not supposed_ to answer the door for _anybody_ except Pop!" **

**"Who else could it be, Stanley," Henry asked irritably. "go answer the door while the rest of us take care of Alan and his problem!"**

**"Okay, Henry," Stanley said. "no need to have a cow!"**

**Stanley then went straight to the front door to answer it.**

**"Stanley, open the door, please?" the person on the other side of the door requested.**

**"Is that you, Pop?" Stanley asked through the door.**

**"Yes, it's me alright." Charlie answered Stanley. Stanley then let his father in.**

**"Come in, Pop," Stanley said opening the door for Charlie. "we are just having a little problem with Alan."**

**Charlie entered his house, "What's wrong with your brother?" he asked Stanley.**

**"Come into the dining room," Stanley said to his father urgently. "I'll show you."**

**Charlie followed Stanley straight into the dining room to find Alan in his trance _again_. **

**This time, Alan had his eyes shut tightly, continuing to sigh as if he was sound asleep.**

**"Annie," Alan called out somniloquously. "Annie!"**

**Charlie was uncertain by what was going on with his third oldest son.**

**"What's the matter with Alan?" Charlie asked the rest of his children.**

**Suzie then prepared to wash the breakfast dishes.**

**"Alan is in a trance, Pop," Suzie called from the kitchen. "and we don't know how he got into this!"**

**"Annie," Alan called out somniloquously again. "Annie!"**

**"Tom," Anne said. "maybe you should help Suzie out with the dishes." "But, Anne, what are you going to be doing?" Tom asked.**


	10. Alan In A Trance! A Deep Mystery

**"I'm going to stay by Buddy's side," Anne answered Tom referring to Alan. "he needs me."**

**"Tom," Suzie asked impatiently. "can you help me dry the breakfast dishes, please?"**

**"Certainly, Suzie." Tom sighed dejectedly, he didn't want to help Suzie with the dirty breakfast dishes.**

**Tom went into the kitchen to help Suzie with the dishes.**

**Alan then sighed in his sleep-like state.**

**"We've gotta wake him up!" Anne exclaimed.**

**Flip came over to Alan's side.**

**"But how? This case is like a nut," Flip observed. "it's hard to crack!"**

**Alan sighed in his sleep-like state again.**

**"I've got an idea," Stanley said. "I will be right back."**

**Stanley disappeared from sight.**

**"Don't go doing anything stupid!" Henry called after Stanley.**

**About half an hour later, Suzie & Tom heard the sound of a whistle being blown, then, the sound of Alan's voice. **

**"Huh? What happened?" Alan asked groggily.**

**Suzie & Tom came back into the dining room hurriedly. "What happened?" Suzie asked worriedly. **

**"Agreed," Tom asked in agreement. "just what happened?"**

**"Oops," Stanley laughed now blushing with embarrassment. "I blew the whistle!"**


	11. Midnight Mystery Madness Part 1

**"Are you feeling all right, Alan?" Tom & Suzie asked in unison. **

**"I'm fine you guys," Alan said to Tom & Suzie. "don't fuss over me." **

**"Oh, Alan," Henry said hugging his younger brother. "you sure had us worried!"**

**" _Especially_ me." Anne said to Alan playfully punching him in his left shoulder. **

**"Ouch! Watch it, Cheetah!" Alan said to Anne.**

**"Oh," Anne said. "I am _super_ sorry, Alan!" **

**Later on that night in the the boys' bedroom, Henry, Stanley, Alan, Tom, Flip, and Scooter all lay sleeping in their bunk beds.**

**At around midnight, Nancy awoke to a crash from outside.**

**"Oh no!" Nancy called out.**

**Nancy frantically climbed down the ladder from the top bunk bed.**

**Suzie awoke quite quickly and got out of the bottom bunk bed where she slept tonight because the ten Chan children alternated bunk beds every single night.**

**"What's wrong, Nancy?" Suzie asked half asleep still.**

**"Look down there." Nancy said to Suzie. Suzie looked out of the window of the girls' bedroom to see Alan, apparently sleepwalking.**

**"Wham, bam," Suzie called out. "Alan's in a jam! Anne, Mimi, wake up! We must contact Henry, Stanley, Tom, Flip, and Scooter via walkie talkie _immediately_ and let them know that our dear brother, Alan, has gone A.W.O.L. in his sleep!"**


	12. Midnight Mystery Madness Part 2

**Anne grabbed the walkie talkie and prepared to contact the remaining boys.**

**Over in the boys' bedroom, the walkie talkie began to beep.**

**Scooter climbed down from the top bunk above where Flip was sleeping tonight and went straight over to the nightstand to answer the walkie talkie. "Henry, Henry," Anne asked. "are you awake? Over."**

**"Henry is asleep, Anne," Scooter said. "over."**

**"Now, you listen here, Scooter Chan," Anne said firmly. "you had better wake Henry up at once!"**

**"Boy oh boy if I was born first," Scooter said to Anne. "would you get it? Over."**

**"Just get Henry, Anne Chan, over and out!" Anne told Scooter firmly.**

**Scooter went over to the set of bunk beds where Henry & Stanley slept, Henry had the bottom bunk tonight. **

**"Henry," Scooter shouted shaking Henry awake. "Henry, wake up!"**

**Henry opened his eyes, "What is it, Scooter?" he asked groggily.**

**"Anne needs to talk to you," Scooter told Henry urgently. "she should still be on the walkie talkie."**


	13. Midnight Mystery Madness Part 3

**"Okay, Scooter," Henry said rubbing his eyes.**

**"I'll see what I can do." Henry then picked up the walkie talkie.**

**Over in the girls' bedroom, their walkie talkie began beeping again.**

**Anne, who had the girls' walkie talkie in her hand, decided to answer it, "Henry, do you copy, over?" she asked.**

**"I'm here, Anne," Henry said. "what's the matter? Over."**

**"Look out your window," Anne told Henry. "Alan is now sleepwalking! Over."**

**Henry, Stanley, Tom, Flip, and Scooter all looked out of their bedroom window.**

**Stanley grabbed the walkie talkie from Henry's hand.**

**"We _cannot_ see Alan anymore! Over." Stanley said to Anne. **

**"This isn't Anne, Stanley," a younger girl's voice said over the walkie talkie. "this is Mimi! Over."**

**"Okay then," Stanley asked the youngest girl over the walkie talkie. "what should we do, Mimi? Over."**

**"We should _most definitely_ tell Pop," Mimi said to Stanley. "over and out!" **

**Charlie was in his bed fast asleep when all of a sudden, the sound of frantic knocking on his bedroom door jerked him awake.**

**"Pop! Get up," the nine children called out in panicked unison. "we all have something _important_ to tell you!" **

**Charlie came out of his bedroom in his long short sleeved ocean blue nightshirt and matching ocean blue backless bedroom slippers to find Henry, Stanley, Suzie, Anne, Tom, Flip, Nancy, Mimi, and Scooter standing outside of his door in their own jammies and nightgowns.**

**"What's the matter?" Charlie asked his children seriously.**

**"Daddy," Nancy said. "it's Alan!"**


	14. To Catch Alan

**"Where is Alan?" Charlie asked his children.**

**"We don't know," Henry answered Charlie. "that's the mystery."**

**"That's also why we need some _fast_ wheels!" Suzie said. **

**"We need to catch Alan!" Flip exclaimed.**

**"We need the Chan van," Nancy told Charlie urgently. "there is no telling where Alan went!"**

**"I'll go get it." Charlie said to his children.**

**Charlie went out to get the Chan van.**

**Anne's twin telepathy suddenly went off.**

**"Oh no!" Anne gasped.**

**Nancy hugged her older sister, "What's the matter?" she asked Anne.**

**"My twin telepathy just went off!" Anne answered Nancy now feeling terrified.**

**Henry came over to Anne's side, "What did you feel?" he asked. "I have a feeling that Alan is in _deeper_ danger than I expected!" Anne said to Henry. **

**"Where do you think he is going, Anne?" Tom asked.**

**"Off hand," Anne answered Tom. "I have absolutely _no_ idea." **

**The nine remaining Chan children heard their father pull up in the Chan van outside.**


	15. A Lead To The Circus

**Charlie entered the house.**

**"I got the Chan van ready." Charlie said.**

**Anne then grabbed her bracelet from her late mother and put it on her left wrist.**

**"I'm ready!" Anne exclaimed.**

**Suzie looked at Anne, "And _why_ do you need your bracelet that you inherited from Mom?" **

**"Simple, Suzie," Anne answered. "I wear it for good luck."**

**The nine remaining Chan children hopped into the Chan van with their father driving.**

**"Pull up, Pop!" Henry called out.**

**Charlie stopped the Chan van.**

**"What is it, Henry?" Charlie asked.**

**"I can see Alan," Henry said to Charlie. "he is up ahead!"**

**Charlie stopped the Chan van with a screeching halt.**

**The four youngest Chan children saw where they were, they all stared in awe and gasped out of excitement.**

**"Yes!" Flip exclaimed.**

**"We are going to the circus!" Nancy agreed.**

**Charlie saw Alan enter the big top tent.**

**"Can we please go in, Pop?" Mimi begged.**

**"Yes, Pop," Scooter pleaded. "can we?"**

**"Yes, we will go in," Charlie said to his four youngest children. "but only to investigate your brother's strange behavior."**

**"Oh man!" Flip, Nancy, Mimi, and Scooter all groaned in unison.**


	16. Alan On The High Wire Part 1

**"Pop's right you guys," Henry told Flip, Nancy, Mimi, and Scooter sternly. "we are only here to figure out what is going on with our dearest brother."**

**Charlie went off on his own while his nine remaining Chan children split into three separate groups of three in order to search for Alan.**

**In one of the trailers, the lion tamer, 23-year-old Candace Chan or as she was called by her boss, Mr. Zambini, Candace the Courageous was fast asleep when she heard a crash coming from outside.**

**"Mr. Zambini," Candace asked now feeling scared. "is that you?"**

**Candace raced out of her trailer to find three of her cousins, Henry, Stanley, and Nancy standing outside.**

**"Cousin Can!" Henry, Stanley, and Nancy exclaimed in unison. "Henry, Stanley, and Nancy," Candace asked. "what are you doing here?"**

**"We are looking for Alan." Stanley answered Candace.**

**"He led us here." Henry told Candace urgently.**

**"Have you seen him, Candy?" Nancy asked.**

**"Sadly, no," Candace answered Nancy. "I haven't."**

**Over in the costume tent, Suzie, Anne, and Mimi were searching for clues.**

**"Did you find anything?" Suzie asked Anne.**

**"Not a thing," Anne answered Suzie.** **"what about you, Mimi?"**

**"What do you mean?" Mimi asked Anne.**

**"Did you find anything?" Anne asked Mimi.**

**"Sadly, no, I didn't find anything." Mimi answered Anne.**

**Suddenly, Anne saw someone in a male's leotard, tights, and acrobat shoes.**

**Anne then noticed that the boy dropped his rose-tinted sunglasses.**

**Anne ran over to the spot where the sunglasses had been dropped.**

**"Alan?" Anne asked.**

**Suzie ran over to Anne's location.**

**"What did you find now, Anne?" Suzie asked.**


	17. Alan On The High Wire Part 2

**"I found Alan's rose-tinted sunglasses." Anne answered Suzie.**

**"Are you sure?" Suzie asked Anne. Anne handed the sunglasses off to Suzie, "Quite sure." she answered.**

**"I had better contact Tom, he is with Flip & Scooter." Suzie said to Anne. **

**"Good thinking." Mimi said to Suzie.**

**Suzie prepared to contact Tom via Chan com.**

**Tom, Flip, and Scooter ran into the the big top tent when Tom got a call on his Chan com.**

**"This is Tom, talk to me." Tom said.**

**"Tom, this is Suzie." Suzie said.**

**"What's the matter?" Tom asked Suzie now feeling unsure of what was going on.**

**"Is Alan where you are?" Suzie asked Tom worriedly.**

**"I do not see him," Tom answered Suzie. "why do you ask?"**

**"Because, Anne has told me that she thought she has seen Alan." Suzie explained to Tom.**

**"That's _crazy_!" Tom said to Suzie. **

**"Listen to me, you kook," someone shouted over their Chan com. "I know that I saw what I saw!"**

**"Okay, Anne, just cool down!" Tom said gently.**

**"So sorry, Tom." Anne said.**

**Suddenly, Tom, Flip, and Scooter all heard someone entering the big top.**

**The person they heard was climbing the ladder to the trapeze wire.**

**"Oh my gosh! Chief," Scooter shouted at Flip. "Alan is climbing up to the trapeze wire!"**


	18. Alan On The High Wire Part 3

**"Tom," Flip said. "contact Suzie! Tell her to come to the big top!"**

**"I'm on it." Tom told Flip.**

**Tom got his Chan com out and prepared to contact Suzie.**

**Back in the costume tent, Suzie answered her Chan com.**

**"Hello?" Suzie asked.**

**"Hi, Suzie, it's Tom," Tom said. "you, Anne, and Mimi had better come over to the big top! This is urgent!"**

**"What's so urgent?" Suzie asked Tom.**

**"Alan is on the high wire." Scooter told Suzie.**

**"Alan is _where_?" Suzie asked Scooter. **

**"Alan is on the high wire." Scooter told Suzie again.**

**"Hang tight, Scooter," Mimi said sternly. "we'll be right there!"**

**The three girls raced over to the big top to find a _terrifying_ sight. **

**Alan was _still_ mesmerized as he continued walking on the high wire. **

**Henry, Stanley, Nancy, and Candace joined the others in the big top.**

**"Oh my gosh," Candace shouted. "Cousin Alan!"**

**Alan was making his way back to the other platform on the high wire.**

**"What are we going to do, Henry?" Flip asked now worried for Alan's safety.**

**Henry saw a shadowy figure swinging a gold pocket watch back & forth and back & forth.**

**"I had better contact Pop." Henry said.**

**Henry prepared to call Charlie on his Chan com.**


	19. Alan Comes Out Of His Trance

**Charlie was over on the far side of the circus & carnival when he got a message. **

**"Hello?" Charlie asked.**

**"Pop, this is Henry." Henry said.**

**"Henry?" Charlie asked.**

**"Come straight to the big top, I can see someone shady over here." Henry said to Charlie.**

**"And, bring Mr. Zambini too, Uncle Charlie." Candace requested.**

**"I'll be right there." Charlie said to Candace.**

**Charlie then ended his call with Henry.**

**A few hours later, Charlie & Mr. Zambini came into the big top to find Henry & Stanley with a safety net under Alan who was still walking on the high wire, while Candace went up to one of the platforms to try to help her entranced cousin. **

**"Alan! Snap out of it!" Suzie called out.**

**Anne just snapped her fingers and Alan came out of his trance.**

**"Alan! Be careful," Candace called out. "you are on the trapeze wire!"**

**"Whatever you do, Buddy, don't look down!" Anne called up to Alan.**

**Alan looked down from his position on the high wire.**

**"Yow!" Alan screamed in _tremendous_ fright.**


	20. The Culprit Caught

**"It's quite all right Alan," Henry called. "Stanley & I are here to catch you!" **

**"Just jump!" Stanley called out to Alan.**

**"Are you sure it's safe?" Alan called out to Stanley.**

**"Trust me!" Stanley called up to Alan.**

**"Stanley and I put a safety net under you!" Henry called up to Alan.**

**"Uh... if you say so." Alan said to Henry & Stanley. **

**Alan jumped down from the trapeze wire and landed in the safety net, his eyes were still closed.**

**"It's all right now, Alan," Henry said serenely. "you can open your eyes."**

**Alan opened his eyes to see Anne handing something to him.**

**"These are yours," Anne told Alan. "I found them in the costume tent."**

**Alan then took the object that Anne had handed to him.**

**"My sunglasses," Alan exclaimed. "thank you, Annie!"**

**"You're quite welcome, Alan." Anne said.**

**Alan then put his rose-tinted sunglasses back onto his face.**

**Chu Chu noticed a figure in the shadows and began barking.**

**"What's wrong, Chu Chu?" Scooter asked.**

**Chu Chu continued barking.**

**Charlie & Officer Jones arrived at the Chan children's location with the culprit in handcuffs. **

**"I know who that is, he was Garrett the Great, our hypnotist, he had an act with us," Mr. Zambini said. "but, I had caught him stealing and sent him to prison."**

**"With Cousin Alan doing his bidding," Candace said to Mr. Zambini. "he thought he could exact his revenge on you for sending him to prison."**

**"But where Garrett is going, he won't ever escape again." Charlie said with a chuckle.**


End file.
